The Impossible
by Chikifriend
Summary: The Prequel to WHEN THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU. It becomes almost impossible to take care of such a demanding individual, how can one possibly make the heart love instead of hate even with an attitude like that?
1. The Voice of One Silent

**THE IMPOSSIBLE  
By: Chiki Yumeshisa**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…all original characters/ideas are mine to claim though.

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**

AN: A side story to WHEN THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU. It becomes almost impossible to take care of such a demanding individual, how can one possibly make the heart love instead of hate even with an attitude like that?

**Warnings**: This first part is rather dark, I guess I was in a brooding mood.

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Chapter 1:

The Voice of One Silent

Black outside.

It was all dark, it was almost frightening.

It was also very disturbing.

Luckily, it wasn't raining. It would have made the feeling even worse. The roads would get muddy and it would be a hard and long trip home.

It smelled like smoke.

Like death.

It choked him, filling his nostrils with the rotten smell. It was dirty, downtrodden and well…disgusting. He wasn't used to such conditions.

He swept his white cloak from the floor carefully.

Trust the news to reach him in the middle of training. He sniffed disdainfully, picking his way across the field, watching the shadows. Somewhere in the distance, he heard a cry, low strangled, miserable.

Hiko stepped back, wondering what to do. It wasn't very often that he stepped out of his estate to the countryside. He wasn't as close to his sister as he would have liked, but then again, he was the rebel out of the two of them. There was no one left on the planet that he could call family. So, of course, at the call that his sister was going to die, he went out to visit her for the last time.

The cry must have belonged to Himura Mitsuru, his sister's husband. Hiko had trained with him in the art of swordsmanship, and Himura had fallen in love with his younger sibling. Once they had married, Sayoko had decided to live a simple life with her husband in the countryside, allowing Hiko to inherit the company.

Now, after several months, Hiko was stepping onto their territory again, for the last time. He could smell it in the air.

The house was dim too, the dying light from their single bulb overhead flickering. Sure enough, Mitsuru was hunched over his wife, who was dead. Hiko's eyes took in his sister's still form, and felt something twist in his chest painfully. He felt tears spring to his eyes, but his attention was taken by a figure who stood by the fireplace, his purple eyes wide.

His mouth was tightly sealed together in a frown, not knowing what was going on. In confusion he backed away from Hiko.

"Mitsuru…." Hiko started to say.

"I can't, Seijuro….." Mitsuru said quietly. "I won't leave her side – I can't go on anyway." He held up a hand full of blood that he had coughed up. "I will die today too."

Hiko covered his mouth. A disease….

"Cholera….." Mitsuru informed him, before there was time to even ask. "Please take Kenshin with you……please…."

Hiko glanced to the side at the small form who shrunk away again. A storm of emotions built inside him. He wanted to scream and shout: his sister was dead. But it would be pointless, useless: there was nothing he could do anymore.

Nothing would bring her back…..

He put those feelings aside, putting on a blank face. "I'm not good with children….but…."

"Please, Seijuro, as my dying wish……" Mitsuru begged. "Teach him to be strong, teach him to be proud……please…."

After a long silence and wracking coughs, Mitsuru fell to his side in pain. Once again, Hiko turned to the small boy. "You will come with me." He informed the child. Kenshin continued to look up at him in silence. He continued to be silent as Hiko took hold of his hand and led him outside the house and didn't look back.

"Thank you……." He heard Mitsuru say weakly.

"I will be back to bury you two myself." Hiko replied.

Hiko wasn't cold hearted - he had pushed away his emotions.

There was nothing he could do.

He kept telling himself that as he climbed into his limo with the child clambering in after him.

He was a small form, not even reaching Hiko's knee and no more than three years of age. His hair was a flame red color, but in the dark, it looked like blood. He had inherited that trait from his father, the purple blue eyes from his mother. He pressed his little face against the pane of his window, watching as the car began to move, and his little home was left in the darkness of the night.

**0-0-0-0-0**

Kenshin looked up at the huge building. It looked like the castle that was in the storybook that his mother always read to him from. Well, at least in his mind.  
Once the car stopped, the man that had taken him away helped him out, leading him up the stairs past the rows of maids and butlers that were lined up to welcome him back. They were all startled: a little boy clung onto their Master's hand wordlessly.

Little did they know that this little boy would become their Master as well.

He was a handsome child, dressed in a drab robe that was dark green in color. His purple eyes were the most intriguing thing, and they were watching them curiously. He held on to the man's hand, not knowing what else to do.

They entered the huge building, the bright lights something the purple eyes were not used to.

"Where's Nakamura?" Hiko called.

A woman came running after a few minutes of waiting. "You called?" She asked, bowing slightly. A look of relief that he had come back safe flooded her eyes.

Hiko let out a brief smile. "Yes, I did. I have someone I want you to meet, and take care of."

He pushed Kenshin forward slightly. "This is my nephew, Himura Kenshin. He'll be living with me from now on." He looked at all those who were present in the room. "You will treat him as you would me: with respect. I have chosen him to be my heir."

All the workers bowed with acknowledgement.

Kenshin had no idea what was going on, so he merely smiled shyly when some of the maids smiled down at him. When Nakamura bent down to take his hand, he refused to let go of Hiko's. He didn't want to go with this woman. He didn't know her. Then again, he didn't really know Hiko either, but there was something familiar about him at least. His childish instinct told him that he didn't know this stranger.

He tried to hide behind his Uncle's robe, but Hiko pulled him away gently. "Kenshin, this is Nakamura. I want you to go with her." He pried his fingers out of Kenshin's tight grip on them. He then handed Kenshin over to her.

"Do clean him up. He looks dreadful."

"Yes, sir." She turned to the small boy and gently picked him up. "Kenshin, hmmmm? You're a cute kid."

Kenshin pouted and didn't say anything. He wanted his mother.

But she was asleep with his daddy at his house, and he had been told not to wake her.

He was brought upstairs to a room where he was given a shower and comfortable clothes. Then, he sat on a big bed, swinging his legs as Nakamura went to get him some food.

It was a large room, enough to fit at least 20 people in without it being crowded. She called it his 'bedroom'.

She came back with a toy and a tray of steaming food. "Would you like to play?" She asked, handing him the colorful robot she held. Its arms moved up and down with the simple push of a button.

Eagerly, Kenshin took it from her, without answering. He was fascinated. It lit up too, and he liked the blinking lights.

He didn't want to eat though, and when she tried to feed him, he turned his head. He didn't look like he wanted to cry, just simply stubborn.

"Please, Kenshin, eat something." She begged, but he simply began to play with his newfound toy, almost as if he were ignoring her. She tried again, but he scrambled away from the spoon, scooting down to the foot of his bed. He gave her a stubborn look again.

"You are just like your Uncle." She sighed, putting down the spoon in defeat.

He suddenly put the toy down too, and looked up at her, rubbing his nose with his small hand. He yawned, and pulled away from her. He wanted to go home and sleep. He didn't want to play with the strangers anymore. He got up and made his way to the door, which was so high up he couldn't reach it.

Nakamura smiled to herself. How adorable. "No, Young Master, you can't go outside. It's time for bed."

Kenshin didn't like the sound of that. He wanted to go home. He pushed away from her, but fell limp when she picked him up and placed him onto the comfortable bed once more. She tucked him in gently, pulling the blanket up to his chin for him, and he tried to get up, out of it. Didn't she understand? He didn't want to be there.

She pushed him back down though, and tucked him in again, ruffling his red hair which now felt soft to the touch.

Hiko came in then, and realized the child was getting ready for bed. "Thanks a lot, Nakamura. I'm afraid I'll be even busier so I won't have a lot of time to watch over him. If you would please…."

Nakamura nodded and gave him a helpless look. "He refuses to eat."

Hiko glanced at Kenshin once more, who again, gave him the stubborn look. "He will when he's good and ready." He addressed the little boy. "Behave, okay?"

Kenshin felt his eyes fill with tears. He wanted to go home. He sucked in a breath and fell back against his pillows, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. He wanted the woman gone, but at the same time, he was scared.

He saw Hiko sit by his bed, telling Nakamura that tonight, he would watch over his nephew.

Feeling a little better having someone familiar sitting close by, Kenshin closed his eyes, and soon fell into a deep uneasy sleep.

Hiko watched him with his dark eyes, sitting rigid in the chair next to the bed. He was amused: at such a young age, this child had one powerfully silent voice.

Trauma perhaps?

He hoped not.

The child hadn't cried at all. Was he somehow mentally ill?

Nakamura interrupted his thoughts. "Sir, I found this in the child's robes…." She held something out to him in the palm of her hand.

At the sight of it, Hiko's blood ran cold.

**TO BE CONTINUED….

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AN: That's the first of a few random moments in a timeline that will (hopefully) piece some unanswered questions in WTWRAY. I hope you liked it – and even if you didn't, please do review! This will be updated regularly as I see fit along with its counterpart story.

Thanks for reading,

- Chiki


	2. Becoming a Parent Isn't Easy

**THE IMPOSSIBLE  
By: Chiki Yumeshisa **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…all original characters/Ideas are mine to claim though. **

AN: Here is the second chapter. I hope you like it. Kenshin as a little boy is so cute, I couldn't resist writing it. Enjoy.

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**Chapter 2: **

**- Becoming A Parent isn't Easy-**

Hiko took the item from Nakamura's outstretched hand. It was really light and felt really old. He held it gingerly, afraid to crush it. He finally found his voice. "I will keep this for the time being – it would be better." He composed himself, shaking himself from the initial shock. How Kenshin could have it – this item – amused him and at the same time, confused him. He put it in his pocket, before returning to sit by his nephew's bedside.

In the middle of the night, Kenshin woke. His face scrunched up, almost like he was going to cry. But he didn't: instead, he rolled away from that spot on the bed and threw the covers over his head, shaking.

Now, Hiko knew that his behavior was not normal. He got up, towering over the child, who cowered away some more. His face was still scrunched up, and the child sniffled miserably.

"What's wrong?"

The child didn't answer, of course, still shaking fearfully. Hiko saw tears fall down the chubby cheeks, and didn't know whether or not the child was afraid of him or the dark, so he hesitated before going to pick Kenshin up. He stopped, realizing what was wrong. He felt both disgust and understanding for the boy, but overall, panic.

"Hn……..you wet the bed." He murmured.

Kenshin began to sob.

Panic was still vivid. "Don't cry!" Hiko said quickly, panic rising. "It's going to be all right." He pat the boy's back soothingly, wishing that Nakamura was there. Kenshin gripped onto Hiko's shoulder, crying into it miserably, his little body shaking.

Hiko soothed the child until he stopped crying before setting to work cleaning him up. As there were no children that lived in the mansion prior, Hiko had no clue where to get clothes small enough to fit the figure he held in his arms. Finally, he took off his shirt, draping it around the boy after giving Kenshin another bath.

Topless, Hiko brought Kenshin over to the chair he had seated himself into by the bed, and sat him down. He began to rummage through the closets for some new sheets. He knew he could wake up a maid, but he felt bad to – they were probably all sleeping, those of them who had not gone home that is.  
He could find none, so he decided the child would sleep in his bedroom. Kenshin refused to sleep on the big bed, and preferred to sleep in Hiko's arms.

Nakamura found them the next day: Kenshin sleeping in an awkward position in Hiko's slack arms. Hiko had no shirt – now that was a sight to behold. She saw it was because Kenshin was curled into the overly large shirt, and she smiled.

Gently, she woke Hiko, whose eyes snapped open, and Kenshin woke with a small yawn.

And the parenting began from there.

He was quiet, and refused to say a word. Actually, he didn't make so much as a single peep. He just followed whatever he was told to do. He went with Nakamura silently as Hiko went to prepare for that morning's business meeting.

Nakamura took the small hand in hers and talked to several people about the subject of clothing. Pretty soon, the little Himura was dressed in a black t-shirt and blue jeans. He kicked his feet when she tried to put the sneakers on, and she argued with him for a while, Kenshin returning that stubborn gaze.

He didn't want to wear anything on his feet. He just didn't feel like it, so Nakamura didn't force him. She tried to make him eat, but Kenshin ran away from the spoon again, into Hiko's study.

"What do you want?" His uncle asked exasperatedly.

Wordlessly, Kenshin clung onto his Uncle's leg, shying away from Nakamura's figure when she came in after him.

"I'm so sorry, Master………he's being difficult."

"Kenshin, I'm busy. Go play with Nakamura." Hiko told him.

Still, Kenshin wouldn't let go. No matter what they tried to do, he kept a firm grip on the man, be it on the man or the man's clothing, it didn't matter. He was going to stay with Hiko no matter what.

And so, that was why Hiko ended up bringing his nephew to the meeting.

The delegates sat there, staring at the silent child who sat in Hiko's head chair, staring at them all with big purple eyes.  
"Let's get down to business." Hiko started.

"Excuse me, sir, is that your son?" One asked. They hadn't heard that Hiko had gotten married.

Hiko glanced at Kenshin briefly. "No, he's not. He's my nephew – but he will be living with me. He might as well be my son: he will take over the Mitsurugi Ryu Inc."

Another person coughed dryly. "Yes, babysitting during a meeting is hardly what I call professional."

Hiko couldn't help but glare. He looked at Kenshin again for a moment before snapping, "I can assure you, Aizawa-san, he will not say a word or be a nuisance. We can pretend he's not even here." He picked up his sheet of paper, praying that Kenshin would behave. "Now, as I've already announced: let's begin."

Thankfully, Kenshin didn't say a word through the whole thing. He did nothing but play with paper and a pen that one of the delegates had given to him, and halfway through the meeting, there was a break in which Hiko got the kid some toys to play with in the corner.

The child refused to eat for almost a week, not wanting anything Nakamura gave to him, and not wanting to accept anything anyone else tried to give him.

She became worried; that was not normal childish behavior. She had taken care of children before, and almost considered taking Kenshin to the doctor. Hiko had patiently assured her to wait.

Kenshin was caught, however, in the kitchen one afternoon, perched on the table, munching on an oatmeal cookie. That much was a relief: at least he had begun to eat something.

After that, Kenshin accepted the meals given to him. While he learned to co-operate with his newfound "parents", he still didn't learn to speak.

For more than 6 months, he remained silent. He smiled when he was happy, he cried when he was sad. He pointed when he wanted something, and he gave hugs to show his appreciation, but he never said anything. He would mostly pout or sit still in a corner. Nakamura learned how to negotiate with Kenshin rather than argue with him.

However, now, even Hiko was worried:

Ever since he had picked the child up from his previous home, he had said nothing. He wondered if Kenshin was really dumb. (someone who can't speak).

They tried to get him to scream with fear just to make sure he had a voice, but they couldn't get even that out of him. He was fascinated with spiders, didn't flinch when it came to needles, and merely cried when he was punished. He didn't bawl loudly. He sort of just let tears fall.

There was something they did know though: Kenshin was afraid to sleep in the room alone. At first, Hiko and Nakamura took turns staying with him in his room at night. But then, it became something that they rotated when they wanted to. Sometimes, Kenshin would stay with them in their rooms.

He became fiercely attached to the two, and would go with no one but them. In the back of his young mind, he wondered when it would be okay to go see his mother again. He missed his father's hugs and his mother's stories before he went to bed. Most especially, her kisses on his forehead……

Of course, he couldn't express any of that. Sometimes, he would wake up in the middle of the night crying, and Nakamura and Hiko didn't know why. They couldn't figure it out. He couldn't tell them that he wanted a story, or that he wanted and needed the affection.

"He's too quiet, Master….." Nakamura said to him one day as Kenshin sat facing the corner, surrounded by toys. He was building a tower out of lego, and having a gozilla toy come over and break it down. He was delighted, and decided to do it again. "I'm afraid he's become mute."

"He's not mute." Hiko argued. "He's just…..well, quiet." He put in lamely.

"Do you suppose it's something we did?" She asked worriedly.

He shook his head. "I don't think so."

Into his 7th month of staying there, Nakamura was dressing Kenshin up for the day. He let her put on his shoes, somewhat resigned. He was tired of arguing with her, and besides he was hungry. She was talking to him again, something about learning how dangerous it was to walk around with shoes that weren't tied. He listened respectfully, and just to annoy her, he began to swing his legs when she tried to tie the laces. She pinned his feet down though. So much for his fun.

"It's cereal or oatmeal: which one would you like?" She asked him.

She knew he wasn't going to answer, but she always tried. She was proven right when he simply looked the other direction. Maybe he didn't understand her.

Nakamura sighed inwardly. Oh well. It didn't matter, she continued to talk. She began to comb out his hair which she had become so fond of. It wasn't often redheads were present. "You know, Kenshin, next year, you will probably go to school. You can make friends."

He turned his attention to her. That sounded interesting. "Then, you will be able to learn new things." She fixed his collar, and reached over for the powder. "You'll also grow up to learn that life can get very hard. And that sometimes, it is fun, sometimes, it is very sad."

Curiosity perked, Kenshin sat down. "Why?"

"Well, because….." Nakamura stopped in her response. She almost missed the fact that Kenshin had spoken! Excitedly, she looked at Kenshin again. "Did you just ask….."

"Why?" Kenshin repeated. His voice was small, somewhat weak from not being used in quite a while. It was heavy with interest.

Nakamura dropped the powder container, spilling the white substance on the floor, and, telling Kenshin not to move, she ran out. She came back a few moments later with Hiko in tow.

"I swear, he spoke!" She told him. "He said one word."

Hiko looked at Kenshin expectantly. Kenshin looked back at him blankly. What was going on? Were they mad that he spoke? He decided not to speak again.

"Go on, baby, say the word." Nakamura begged him. "Say 'why' again."

Kenshin refused to. He shied away, feeling both confused and frightened by the sudden reaction he had gotten.

"Come on, Kenshin…..say something." Nakamura said pleadingly.

When he never said anything, Hiko gave her a strange look. "Maybe you were just imagining it….."

"I wasn't! He spoke." She cried defensively.

"He'll talk in time." Hiko told her. "Just like when he didn't want to eat." He looked up at the ceiling. "Of course, you know, if he doesn't speak, the word monster will come and get him now that it knows he can speak but doesn't want to."

Both Kenshin and Nakamura looked at him. Nakamura in confusion and Kenshin in fear. A word monster?

After a prodding nudge, Nakamura latched onto the game. "Oh! The word monster! Right! The one that hides under the bed all the time!"

Hiko nodded. Then he ruffled the kid's head and left the room.

That night, they played a rather nasty trick on the child, but it got the desired effect that they wanted. They wound up a pair of chattering teeth and set it under the bed when Kenshin was asleep.

It woke the kid up as it began to rattle underneath him. He got up, rubbing an eye and looking to see if Nakamura was there. She was, and she began to wring her hands nervously in mock fright.

"Oh, Kenshin, it's the word monster." She told him, seriously. "He's probably here for you….."

Kenshin began to cry. He didn't want the word monster after him! Nakamura began to steal out of the room. "You'd better say something or else he'll come out from under the bed." She warned. She hoped that it wouldn't get him to go into a further shock and never speak again.

However, he cried out. "Nakamura-san, don't go!"

She smiled to herself. Hiko came running down the hall at his plaintive cry. "Don't leave me!" He heard Kenshin call. "I don't like word monsters!"

Cute.

Feeling sorry for him, Nakamura re-entered, Hiko right behind her. "Don't worry, Kenshin," His uncle said gently, "The word monster is gone. It went away after you spoke." He tried his best to contain the laughter bubbling inside him. Luckily, the chattering teeth had wound down and shut up.

And for the next three weeks, Kenshin slept in Hiko's bed. It was his fault after all…..

After that, Kenshin spoke, but not a lot. His words were chosen, and he didn't particularly like talking. He began to forget about his parents: Nakamura gave him bedtime stories now, and even kissed him goodnight.

What he liked the most was that she always told him he was a handsome boy. It made him feel good inside and proud. His Uncle always told him that too, and he was promised that he would be a strong, powerful man when he was older.

As Hiko was walking down the hallway, he stopped by Kenshin's room. The child was probably asleep already. But….that was strange: he thought he saw a shadow of someone against the wall. He was worried: that was definitely not Kenshin's shadow. Especially not the shadow of a woman so it couldn't possibly be Nakamura. He saw the shadow again and in the hand of this man, he held a sword.

Hiko's heart stopped beating.

Kenshin was in there with a murderer!

**To Be Continued...**

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AN: Thanks for the support everyone! I'm glad to see some people are reading this as well as WTWRAY. Speaking of which, WTWRAY will not be updated this weekend but next, so I hope to see everyone next Sunday! Before you exit this window, kindly leave me a review. Thanks for reading,

-Chiki


	3. School

**THE IMPOSSIBLE**

**By: Chiki Yumeshisa**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…all original characters/ideas are mine to claim though. No stealing please.

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**

A side story to WHEN THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU. It becomes almost impossible to take care of such a demanding individual, how can one possibly make the heart love instead of hate even with an attitude like that?

**_Warnings: None. Please enjoy

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_**

Chapter 3: - School-

Hiko had been a bit concerned about where to place him for school. First, he had sent Kenshin to a common school close by, so as not to draw too much attention to him. He wanted the child to grow up like a normal kid, with normal friends, instead of having friends that were all stuck up snobs.

That didn't quite work. In fact, it was the opposite: Kenshin made more enemies than friends.

One day he had just returned home without telling anyone at the school. He was found later in his bedroom, curled in the corner.

The next school he went to was a public school, where everyone had to wear uniforms. Hiko liked that thought: no one could question his expensive outfits like they had in the recent school the child had attended. But this time, Kenshin was teased because of his red hair and his status that he had no mother or father. He came home crying every day.

By the third school in that same year, Kenshin was tired of having people make fun of him. He instead tried to make friends using the money that he owned. That didn't work: he made no true friends at all.

Hiko pulled him out of that school right away, and had settled for the time being with a private tutor. Unfortunately, that did not go as expected. Kenshin, tired of all the switching, was reduced again, to his silence.

Nakamura fixed Kenshin's t-shirt. "You have got to behave, Kenshin. I don't want you throwing your crayons at your tutor again, do you hear me?"  
Kenshin stuck out his bottom lip. "I don't like him. He doesn't like me."

Namakura ruffled his hair. "Of course he likes you, silly. Everyone should, you're a charm." She hoisted him off the bed.

He stared up at her with those beseeching purple eyes. "I want to make friends, Nakamura-san……."

She stopped her administrations before taking him by the hand. "You will make friends Kenshin. I promise you. Now, come along." She led him to the ballroom, where his instructor sat by the piano, waiting for him.

Heaving a sigh, the child came over. For Nakamura-san, he'd go on his best behavior………but he refused to talk.

Nakamura-san, on the other hand, made her way to Hiko's study. He was engrossed in books, and had his laptop on. He looked up when she entered. "I'm busy." He told her.

"I'm worried." She shot back.

He leaned back wearily, rubbing at his temples. "What is it this time?"

"It's Kenshin."

"The brat again?" Hiko mused fondly. "What has he done this time?" It was rather amusing to hear that Kenshin had argued with his teacher that 1 + 1 3.

Nakamura leaned against the doorway. "I'm really sorry for interrupting you, Hiko-san, but I am really afraid that Kenshin will grow up eccentric. He told me he wants to make friends."

Hiko scowled. "Obviously, people don't want to make friends with him."

Nakamura rolled a shoulder. "Perhaps he will fit in with those who are already like him. It is better that way, so that he can't be teased and he can't be alienated." She waved her hand in the direction of the ballroom. "You gave him a private tutor, so give him a private school, where only a child of his class should be."

She made sense.

And so, that was what it all boiled down to.

"Himura Kenshin."

He always wondered why his name wasn't like his Uncle's or like Nakamura's. For a little while he had begun to believe that they were his real parents, but Hiko had been clear about who his parents were. He wasn't about to lie to the kid.

Nakamura had always told him that he was a very special little boy: that his mother loved him very much, and his father loved him so much as to give him to his Uncle for keeping. They were gone now – and Kenshin could hardly remember them.

It was a private school this time: the topmost pristine school there was. It was called Kojimachi Private Institute. Or something like that. Kenshin couldn't read the kanji writing but Nakamura-san had told him all about it.

He was dressed in black shorts, a red tie and a white collared shirt that held the symbol of the school displayed proudly. Everyone else in the class had the same clothing, except the girls had skirts instead of shorts.

He had always liked the first day of school. He smiled widely at the sea of people looking at him.

"Class, I'd like to introduce to you Himura Kenshin, our newest pupil."

Ceremoniously, everyone rose in their seats and bowed. "Good morning Himura-san."

Kenshin's smile widened. He shyly nodded back.

He made up his mind: he liked this school better than the rest of his other ones……… they all seemed….well….. like him…….

He enjoyed his first days at school – he always tried to make a fresh start. This time, he was determined to make it through. He had made up his mind.

He sat next to a boy who was biting his pencil thoughtfully. He had chocolate brown eyes and hair that was combed back neatly. His front two teeth were missing already. His fingers were drumming the desk. It fascinated Kenshin to see someone fidgeting so much.

Kenshin gave him a shy smile, wondering if he should speak first. The boy did first though, blinking at him earnestly.

"What does your father do for a living?" he demanded.

Taken aback, Kenshin replied the only thing he knew. "My father is dead."

"Your mother?"

"Dead too."

"Oh………" The boy once again started drumming his fingers on the table. "Your name isn't familiar."

Kenshin smiled again. "I live with my Uncle, Hiko Seijuro."

The boy finally nodded. "Oh."

Faltering, Kenshin took out a pencil of his own, identical to the boy's sitting next to him. He took out a sheet of paper too.

"That means you're the richest kid here."

Kenshin shrugged. He liked the sound of that, but he wondered whether or not it would be accepted in that school, or used as something to throw against him. He kept silent, not sure if his response might make someone upset. The boy grinned.

He pulled his pencil out of his mouth; the blue wood had teeth marks. "My name is Sagara Sanosuke. But everyone just calls me Sano." He put his hands together and grinned up at the teacher as she walked by to check and see if the students were doing work. They were supposed to be writing the newest Kanji character she put on the board: water.

Kenshin already knew it, so he carefully wrote the symbol, making sure all lines connected. His tutor had told him that if they weren't connected, the character would make no sense.

Sanosuke leaned over. "I'll be turning 6 this November." He whispered excitedly. "Mom says she's going to get me my own computer at last."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. He remembered his Uncle had one in his room, and that he was always on it. All of a sudden, he felt jealousy rip through him: he wanted a computer too! He bit his lip, glancing away. He all of a sudden didn't want to become friends with his seatmate.

However, during art class, his mind changed.

They were asked to draw a photo of themselves, and what they wanted to be when they were older.

Really bad at art, Kenshin made a sloppy drawing of a boy who had one short arm and one incredibly long one, a lopsided smile and two pebble eyes. His legs were extremely short and it was all distorted. He hesitated when he was going to color the hair of his image red. He realized that red hair had never done him any service. He picked up the yellow crayon.

All of a sudden, Sanosuke dropped the red crayon onto Kenshin's desk. "I think you should use this instead."

Kenshin blinked his purple eyes up at him in confusion.

"Red hair – not yellow hair. You'd look weird with yellow hair." Sanosuke explained.

Kenshin made a face. "I don't like my red hair." He answered quietly, evenly. He was a short - tempered child and he didn't like people telling him what to do.

Sano shrugged. "I like it. I don't see anything wrong with it."

He couldn't help but stare. Had he just heard right? That was the first time anybody at any school had said that about his hair. Usually, the comments were about how rare red hair was. He felt an uncertain smile touch his lips. "Really?"

"Yeah. I think it's cool."

Sano slid back into his seat, intent on scribbling away at his picture. If Kenshin thought his was bad, his seatmate's was worse.

That night, Kenshin couldn't go to sleep. Nakamura-san hadn't been feeling well, and so she had retired to be early. Uncle Hiko was busy as usual, and so, he couldn't sit by Kenshin's bedside.

The child decided that if no one would come to him, he would go to them.

He peered into the room where Uncle Hiko sat reading blearily from a fat text. He tried to hide his glare. "Kenshin, what are you still doing up? You have school tomorrow."

Kenshin pushed the door the rest of the way open, sliding in. He was dressed in blue pajamas, with dark blue lines going down horizontally. His red hair fell up to behind his ears. He nervously played with his hands.

"Can I stay here with you?" He asked in a small voice. "I'm scared."

Hiko sighed, and allowed the child to clamber up onto his lap. He rested his big hand on Kenshin's head, ruffling his hair fondly. Kenshin leaned back against his Uncle's chest, putting his small arms around his neck.  
Silence settled comfortably as Kenshin watched the elder read. "Uncle Hiko, I made a friend today."

His Uncle grunted his acknowledgement. "Really."

"His name is Sano. He's going to be my best friend."

"That's nice."

"He's getting a computer." His nephew said. "I want a computer too."

"When you're older." Hiko told him. Kenshin pouted and was about to complain but his Uncle shot him a warning look. He fell silent again.

Finally, when he closed the book, he asked Kenshin, "Do you like your new school? Are you happy in it?"

Kenshin yawned and rubbed an eye tiredly. "Yes. Thank you Uncle Hiko. You're the best." He hugged his Uncle as he got up to get Kenshin into bed. "You'll always be my favorite."

Hiko smiled. So the kid could have a rotten attitude sometimes, but he was sweet. At least it showed that he was raising him in a right way. He pat the child's back, giving Kenshin a small squeeze in return. "Thanks, Kenshin. You'll always….be my little boy." He said quietly.

He was just putting Kenshin into bed, when he heard a scream echo down the hall.

Not a second later, the red lights of emergency were flashing and a loud beeping sound began to screech.

His ears picked it up: he knew that voice. It was Nakamura!

She must have pressed the emergency button.

Kenshin awoke, and began to cry.

Someone burst into the room, a panicked look on his face. "Sir! There's an emergency! Udo Jineh has broken into the building!"

**To Be Continued….

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**

AN: I wanted to write a little piece that shows how Kenshin did have his troubles in school and that he wasn't always the popular kid. Also, to show you just how close his Uncle and he were when he was a little boy. I hope you guys liked it. Please review!

Thanks for reading,

-Chiki


	4. Kaoru

THE IMPOSSIBLE  
by: Chiki Yumeshisa

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin……all original characters/ideas are mine to claim though.

A side story to WHEN THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU. It becomes almost impossible to take care of such a demanding individual, how can one possibly make the heart love instead of hate even with an attitude like that?

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_**Warnings: Brief swearing………..and family situations. O.O.**_

AN: This story will have various scenes in no apparent time order - just random events that help to enlighten the reader as to how some characters' lives were before the story WHEN THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU. Bear with me as I jump from scene to scene in each chapter. This chapter - Kaoru's life!

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**Chapter 4: **

**-Kaoru- **

She liked tests.

She loved school with a passion.

No, wait, she loved _reading _with a passion…….

She made a face, her pen hovering over her paper. What was it that she loved most that made her the way she was? She finally scribbled down the word, _books_. She loved books. Any type. Give them to her, and she'd devour them. She craved them sometimes – perhaps that was why she was always the top in her class. She strove to remember everything and she eagerly looked for the solutions to problems.

If she couldn't figure the solution, it would itch at her brain so much she'd look for them in books until she either found it, or settle with the thought that it would be answered later on in the future.

She went on to fill out the questionnaire:

Name: Kamiya Kaoru

Age: 15

Gender: Female

School: Yoshimitsu Middle High

Hair: Black

Eyes: Blue

Married or single? Single of course. Well, actually, Kaoru did like this boy in her class – his name was Katsu. He had black hair like hers and even though he acted like a total goofball, he was really smart too. He was always challenging her in the field of academics. She hoped that maybe, she'd get the courage to tell him one of those days…..

Background: Japanese

Parents: Divorced/Married – What should she choose? Her parents fought constantly, it was almost as if they were divorced. What kind of a stupid question was this anyway? The school board had no right to even ask such personal stuff. Once again, her pen hovered. What should she circle?

Finally, she circled the second one – her parents weren't divorced yet. She hoped that they would stay together. She quickly filled out the rest of the sheet, placing her address and telephone number in at the very end. Then, afterwards, she handed it in, grabbed her backpack and ran out of the room.

It was required for every student to fill in the sheet: they were all going to be going into high school and they needed the necessary information. Kaoru had signed up for and she fervently hoped that she had made it. The exam had been a breeze, and she was looking forward to seeing her best friends there.

They had already left for the day, leaving her behind to walk home on her own. She had let Minoru-chan borrow her cd player, so she was left to walk in silence.

Katsu came up from behind her and swat her on the back. His hands were full of chalk dust and he left a nice white print on the back of her navy uniform. Kaoru scowled, "Why do you have to be so immature all the time?" She demanded.

"Lighten up, Kamiya!" Katsu sang. "It's all in fun. It's chalk, it'll come off." He gave her a stupid silly grin. It made her smile, despite her chagrin at his actions. Her mother would never let her hear the end of it. She really didn't need the lecture. She tried to get it off. The idiot: he had placed it on her back where she couldn't reach.

"Where you headed off to?" He asked, walking in pace with her.

"The library." Was the response.

He held up his hands in mock defeat. "And here I wanted to ask you out too. I guess I have no place in a book worm's life."

Her cheeks heated. "Rot and die, Katsu – I would never go out with you anyway." And hold you tongue, Kaoru, because you're lying and you know it, she chided herself ruefully.

Katsu stuck out his tongue. "If you want, I'll walk you there." He offered.

She smiled at him. "Thanks."

"I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to protect yourself: you need a strong guy like me around." He teased.

She rolled her eyes. "I can protect myself better than you can." She told him smugly. And she could too: she had been learning the art of Kendo since she was very small. Pretty soon, her father told her she'd be a master. Her little brother, Yahiko, was well on his way too.

Katsu stuffed his hands in his pockets. He was wearing the high-button collar uniform that all the males wore. He began to whistle, the Japanese national anthem.

They went to the library together, where she picked up a couple of science books and a placed a couple of orders. She was happy: her order had come just in time. She was excited: something new to read!

Katsu gave her a small smile. "I don't see how you could want to read those."

"I'm looking forward to it." She said, grinning.

They walked together in silence to her front gate. Her house was raised bungalow-style one. Their basement was converted to a dojo, where students filed in to practice their budo. The Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was still teeming with life. The students were all dressed in a cream-colored yukatas and a light blue hakamas. Maybe in the whole school there was only two girls who trained in the art other than herself.

"Well, Kamiya, I'll take my leave here." Katsu said, giving her a peace-sign, raising to fingers in a salute.

"You're such a gentleman." Kaoru told him. "Thank you."

"Anything for the lady." Katsu told her. The way he said that reminded her of the way that Morisato did. He always called her a little lady. She watched as he loped away, his figure disappearing around the corner.

Their front lawn was freshly cut, and the window was open, letting in the smell of baking cookies. Most likely, her mother was cooking the snack for Ayame. The thought of food made Kaoru's stomach growl.

She took off her shoes at the door, arranging them neatly by the side of the wall on the tiled floor. It was obvious her mother had just finished mopping the wood of the hallway with the way it shone when the light hit it. "I'm home!" She called.

Ayame came out, toddling toward her, her arms outstretched. "Kao-neechan!" She called out happily.

Kaoru gathered the bundle in her arms. Her mother came out soon after. "Kaoru, there's mail for you."

"Really?" Her heart thumped. She hoped to God that it wasn't a rejection letter. She also hoped that it wasn't a bad news letter from the school. Thankfully though, when she opened the letter, good news was printed all over the sheet.

"Mother! I got accepted into Takunara High!" Her hands shook with excitement. She could hardly believe her eyes!

Her mother didn't even bother to look up. "That's nice." She said. She was more intent on checking to see whether the milk inside the baby's bottle was too hot. She tested it on her skin, and since she didn't flinch, she proceeded to give it to Suzume, Kaoru's youngest sister, who was merely a month old.

It was nothing new: Kaoru always got awards and prizes. It was only obvious she'd get accepted into the high school of her choice.

Despite her excitement, Kaoru felt a tinge of disappointment at the reaction. Her mother was never really close to her. She knew that if she told her father, he would be ecstatic for her. She consoled herself with that thought.

Yahiko walked in, his bokken slung over his shoulder. "Kao-nee, father is looking for you. He says he needs you help to teach today." He paused when he saw her elated face. "What's with you, ugly?"

"Oh be quiet!" She snapped happily, as she jogged past him and into her bedroom. She deposited Ayame on her bed, telling her not to spill anything. Her room was one of the biggest ones because of the amount of books she had piled on her floor. She had a few stuffed animals here and there, and Ayame happily rested her head on one of the stomachs.

She quickly changed into a yukata and hakama of her own and ran to meet her father in the training hall. Her library books came on time, her acceptance letter came in the mail – things couldn't get any better.

Or so she thought.

Sure enough, her father was happy for her. She was glad for that. Her father always called her his little angel, and she knew she could depend on him. Just as she was going to pour herself into her new books, she heard a glass crash to the floor and the baby let out a wail.

Kaoru dropped her books, and rushed out of her bedroom. A pit of dread was growing in the pit of her stomach. She felt a cold wash of fear run through her – they were fighting again. Another glass broke.

"It's always going to be like this, isn't it?" Her mother was screaming.

"Why do you have to be so selfish Saori!" Her father shouted back.

"If it weren't for the children, I would have gotten rid of you!"

Her father's anger peaked. "What did you say? Watch it, bitch!"

Her blood ran cold. It was getting there again. She made it to the kitchen finally, after what seemed like an eternity. Time seemed to have slowed down. She could hear her every breath. She watched as her mother covered Ayame's ears and as Suzume screamed, crying, from her chair. Yahiko was in the corner, his eyes wide.

"Watch what you say in front of the kids!" Her mother hollered. Ayame started to cry in protest.

"Get your hands off her!" Her father shouted, pulling Ayame roughly out of her mother's grasp. The poor child let out a yelp of pain.

"Mother, Father, stop!" Kaoru screamed over their shouts. She managed to get Suzume from her chair and pull Yahiko up from his crouched position. Suzume wailed at the top of her lungs from her arms, and Yahiko shook so badly, he could hardly stand. Oblivious to the chaos around them, their parents continued to curse at each other, the words flying back and forth. Kaoru's shouts for them to stop were lost in the whirlwind of insults and hurtful words.

Finally, Kaoru managed to usher her siblings out and into her bedroom, sitting Ayame on one thigh and Suzume on the other, hugging them tight. Yahiko rested his head on her shoulder as she jiggled them on her knees, cooing soothing words to them. She felt tears well up in her eyes but she didn't let them fall. She had to be strong for them.

Perhaps it would be better if they separated……..

It would give them less pain.

But then again, it might cause problems. She was torn: she loved both of them, but yet, she wanted a peaceful family.

A whole family.

But that wasn't going to happen……….

A single tear made its way down her cheek.

All her siblings jumped when they heard another crash and a shriek that sounded like a death cry.

What on earth?

Leaving them inside her bedroom, crying and sniffling, she went to see what had happened, and what greeted her was something she was not expecting to see.

**To Be Continued...**

AN: So there you have it, Kaoru's part of the story. As everyone can probably tell, she and her mother were never really close. I hope you enjoyed, please leave me a review!


	5. Playtime

**THE IMPOSSIBLE**

**By: Chiki Yumeshisa**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin……all original characters/ideas are mine to claim though. **

AN: Ah, here we go, another random scene that backtracks. Sorry for the late update.

**_Warnings: none.

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Chapter 5:

- Playtime-

Hiko took a cautious step forward. In the darkness, he wasn't too sure of what he was seeing. He felt his hands clench into fists. Damn it, if only he had his sword with him, he would be able to take the person on right away instead of cowering behind the shadows.

Still, he didn't want anyone hurting Kenshin, and so he was willing to use his bare hands just to stop him. Even though Kenshin wasn't his real son, there was something about him that just made him so attached to the child. He was so innocent and cute.

Okay fine, so he was a softy, so what?

Gritting his teeth, he peered into the room again, only to see that shadow again. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he felt a cold rush of air. The window was open? So that was where that infiltrator came in from, ah?

He took a step in, slipping quietly behind the door, watching the shadow as it made its way toward the bed.

_ Just a little more_, he thought darkly.

He held his breath, waiting. The figure stepped on something, but he merely kicked it out of the way.

Hiko could see the figure of his sleeping nephew on the bed, curled into a ball, the blanket over his head. Maybe the poor child was scared.

The figure came close enough to touch. It was then that Hiko quickly caught the wrist that was holding the sword and twisted it around, managing to pry the fingers off the sheath. The figure let out a surprised gasp, but it was too late, the blade of the sword was pushed up under his chin, Hiko holding the hilt, seething.

No one messed with his family.

He blinked when he realized that the 'murderer' was a mere butler, who was staring back at him

"What……….?" He started to say. Perplexed, his grip on the sword faltered.

His butler was deathly pale. "My Master! Please don't hurt me!" He cried.

Hiko's grip on the man's shirt only tightened. "Oh God, I thought that you were……..what were you doing!" His mind was screaming at him not to lose his anger. It wasn't working though.

"I was merely putting the young Master's sword up on his wall next to his desk." The butler protested. "As was orders from Nakamura…….."

Hiko relaxed then. He had asked her to place it in the child's room. She must have riveted the request to someone else. Nevertheless, he released the butler and snatched the sheath out of his hand, sliding the sword in, safely. "I almost killed you."

His butler was shaking so badly that he could hardly stand. He looked away fearfully. "I'm sorry…….forgive me Master…….forgive me……." He kept stuttering.

The fool.

It was then that Hiko heard Kenshin's bubbly laughter filter down the hall. Nakamura's admonishing voice was hushed, but still audible.

She walked through the door and paused. Kenshin stood by her side, his little body pressed up against her leg as he begged her to carry him, but she refused to. She had said her back hurt and she was tired. His purple eyes took in the scene before him and the little smile he had on his face dropped.

"Hiko-san?" Nakamura started to ask.

"It was a misunderstanding." Hiko growled angrily, tossing the sword onto the desk. "The next time I ask you to do something, Nakamura-san, I expect you to do it. Not give the task to someone else. Am I understood?" His voice had gained that edge.

She nodded stiffly. "Of course, Master. My apologies……."

His eyes fell on Kenshin, who, feeling his Uncle's anger, shrunk back. "And why isn't he in bed yet?"

"Um…….sir, I brought him down for a snack………" she answered nervously.

Hiko's eyes narrowed. "His bedtime is not his snack time. I hope you fed him something healthy." He directed his question to the child. "What was it?"  
"Oatmeal cookie." He answered, his voice small. He had a passion for those. He liked them best with chocolate milk.

His Uncle couldn't help but snap. "Stop wasting time and go to bed. And you," He addressed Nakamura, "make sure he's in bed on time instead of 'eating snacks'."

She bowed her head in acknowledgement, and watched as he stormed out of the room. The butler retreated too, and Nakamura finally picked Kenshin up. He grabbed fistfuls of her shirt in his tiny hands. Her actions seemed jerky, hesitant.

"Is he mad?" He asked.

"No…….he's just irritated, that's all." She answered, placing him onto his bed and then stuffing him into his pajamas. He poked his arms through the holes for his sleeves and watched her button the front up for him. Airplanes designed the fabric. His uncle was scary when he was mad. Her nimble fingers slipped each button into the hole.

He looked up at her, trying to squirm out of her grasp. "Was Kenshin a bad boy?" He asked, worriedly.

"No, you weren't." His maid told him. "It was my fault."

Kenshin gave her a small hug. "Don't cry, okay, Nakamura-san?" He pat her head, mimicking what she usually did to him whenever he got into trouble with a staff member or with someone else. "It will be all right." He stressed the word all, the same as she did.

Nakamura actually giggled. "Oh, Kenshin, you're so funny sometimes." She dusted him off from unseen dirt and then she gave him an affectionate kiss on the forehead. "Come on, darling, let's get you to bed."

She tucked him in, making sure that he was comfortable, and then sat by his bed. In a moment, she was the one that fell asleep, leaving Kenshin to watch over her instead of the other way around. He silently slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the door, poking his thumb in his mouth. He didn't want to sleep – he wanted to play.

Unfortunately for him, Uncle Hiko was just returning to his study down the hall, and caught a glimpse of him. He strode over, plucking the child up in his big arms. "Kenshin? What……where's Nakamura?" He gave an irritated sigh.

"Playtime!" Kenshin cried happily, squirming in the elder man's arms.

"No, it's not playtime," his uncle told him.

"Playtime!" Kenshin insisted, tugging on his uncle's black hair.

"No, Kenshin, it's time for bed." Hiko said firmly. Kenshin didn't listen though. He wanted to play.

He squirmed out of his uncle's arms falling to the floor. "No bed!" He cried. "Let's play, Uncle Hiko!" With that, he set off, running down the hall, away from his bedroom, where Nakamura slept peacefully in the chair next to his bed.

Hiko forced down the urge to yell. He knew that Nakamura was tired, and he couldn't blame her – he was exhausted too, but at least he hadn't been running after this impossible child all day. He took off after Kenshin, who giggled. "Kenshin, that's enough!" Hiko called.

Kenshin clapped his hands, and beckoned the elder man forward. "Hurry up, Uncle Hiko!" He called. He threw open the door to his playroom, where all his toys lined the wall neatly. Nakamura had spent a back-breaking hour and a half trying to pick them all up and put them away.

The floor was carpeted, a soft peach color, just so that the child, who was fond of running, did not slip and fall. He ran into the room, across the padded floor and towards his shelf where his newest toy stood. It was a type of transformer that changed into a police car and then with the push of a button, it would start screeching its siren.

Hiko came in just as that annoying peal filled the room and Kenshin was 'driving' the toy back and forth, rolling it between his hands. Delight was written all over the child's face, that Hiko's anger faltered: his nephew looked so innocent and content, that he couldn't bear to yell at him, despite his fatigue and stress.

Instead, he squat down to face Kenshin. "You're not going to listen to me, are you?"

"Hi, Uncle Hiko!" The child quipped, holding out the toy. "Play?"

Sighing, Hiko took the toy and rolled it back and forth twice. "Is that enough?" He asked. He should have known better than to comply, because the next thing he knew, his nephew had gotten another two and had begun to play with them too.

Well, it couldn't hurt if he relaxed once.

He sat down and began to play with the child, building the blocks high, much to Kenshin's amusement. That just meant all the more for godzilla to break down. Pretty soon, even he was laughing with the child. It was refreshing, something other than paperwork and meetings.

All too soon, it ended, when Nakamura came running in, her face pale and her eyes wide. "Oh, Kenshin, there you are!" She cried. Her eyes took in Hiko who had him propped up onto his shoulders, and Kenshin laughing gleefully from his perch. "I'm so sorry, my master..." She started to say. "He...I..." She didn't know what to say. "...I fell asleep..." She twisted her finger in the hem of her dress, nervously. She wondered if she would get fired. Hiko was known to be cruel.

He gave her a gentle smile. "It's okay, Naoko...I didn't mean to be so harsh on you before. I was just spending some time with him." He pat Kenshin on the back.

Kenshin yawned and hiccuped as a response. He managed to scramble into his uncle's arms and popping his thumb into his mouth, gave Nakamura a reproachful look.

"So I presume you will be putting him to bed?"  
Hiko nodded, bringing the boy to his bedroom. In no time at all, Kenshin was fast asleep, even before his head touched the pillow.

So sweet and angelic...but the job to take care of him seemed so impossible.

Who knew that the future would destroy him?

It hardly seemed possible.

But it came true...

**To Be Continued... **

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AN: Well, there's some of Kenshin's past. It looks like he wasn't always a little brat. Please review for me and tell me your thoughts on having read this chapter. See you all next update.


	6. Intruders In The Dark

**THE IMPOSSIBLE**

**By: Chiki Yumeshisa**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin….all original characters/ideas are mine to claim though. **

AN: No update for WTWRAY today, but this will help you to understand it better. I hope you like.

**Warnings**: This chapter will go back to a cliffhanger I left off from before, and time has fast forwarded a bit to the future. The ride is still bumpy: caution, wear your seatbelts.

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Chapter 6:

- Intruders In The Dark -

He didn't know what to do: comfort his nephew, or run out to look for the intruder. It hit him as strange: what did Jineh want with him this time? He had already refused his latest offer, and he wondered if the man was still sore about his rejection – but enough to go break into his house?

Kenshin was crying now, at full blast, cranky and scared. The emergency alarm was supposed to mean trouble. He groped for his uncle's arm, pleading for him not to leave him alone, and to stay. Hiko pat him on the head.

"I'll be right back. Don't worry……."

"No, Uncle Hiko. Don't go!" Kenshin cried, gripping his uncle's sleeve with small hands.

Hiko gently took them off, pulling the blanket around his nephew again, tucking him in. "I'm not going to leave you; I'll be right back." He told the child. Huge, beseeching purple eyes looked back at him. They were filled with tears. His small body shook, as he cowered away. "You stay put, do you hear me?"

Kenshin nodded. "Yes, Uncle Hiko." Tears slipped won his little face. It was better to do as he was told.

"Good." And with that, Hiko left in search of the source of the problem. He was ticked: he would give Jineh a piece of his mind. He hoped that he hadn't hurt Nakamura in any way, or he would never forgive himself.

Kenshin sat trembling, watching as his uncle stormed down the hall. He hoped that he would come back soon. Well, at least he had left the door open – that way, he wouldn't be left alone in the dark by himself. He was scared of the dark.

He poked his thumb into his mouth, leaning against his pillows, sullenly. Then he sat up straight when someone poked an arm into the room. Very soon after, a body followed. It was tall, lean and toned lightly with muscles. He was wearing gray and black, his greasy hair hanging in uneven strands over his face; that of which Kenshin had trouble seeing because the man's head was turned in attention toward the door.

Terrified, the child stared. He didn't want to attract any attention to himself, so he pulled his thumb out of his mouth, holding back his whimper. He crawled under his blanket, trying to disappear. This was a stranger; Nakamura-san had always told him not to talk to strangers.

Not jus that, but this man had an aura about him that was threatening. His mere presence was something that made a person's skin crawl.

However, Kenshin could feel that he was still there. He waited to see if this stranger would leave after a while. He peeked out cautiously, only to see a face peering down at him.

It was pale, and beady eyes watched him through red rimmed sockets that were sunken and hollow. They glittered with malice and mischief. His face was ruddy and thin, a grin spreading across it. Kenshin gave a little yelp of surprise and fear. He tried to go back under his covers, but one of the man's hands reached down and pulled the covering away, exposing the child to him.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" He peered closer. It had looked like a little girl, but he realized that the child was actually a little boy. What was a kid doing in the estate of Hiko Seijuro? Wasn't he supposed to be a bachelor?

He reached over to tussle the child's hair, but he never got the chance to, as Kenshin pushed away. "No! Don't come close to me!" He screamed.

Jineh turned to face the door, listening intently. He heard no one coming. A new thought formed into his head, and he turned a wicked-grinning face toward the child. "Come now, I won't hurt you. I'm a friend of Hiko's."

Kenshin didn't believe him. "Leave me alone!" He cried. "Nakamura-san! Nakamura-san!"

The hand clamped over Kenshin's mouth. "Shut up, kid." He hissed dangerously. "I'm warning you."

Kenshin froze at the contact of the hand on his mouth. Instincts told him not to move or else. Mustering up as much courage as he could, which was not a lot, Kenshin pulled away from him. "What do you want?"

"Just to have a friendly chat with you." Jineh answered casually. He sat on the bed next to him. "What's your name?"

He hesitated for a moment, before answering, "Himura…..Kenshin…….." It was better to play it safe. He was angry. Angry at this man for intruding, and angry at his uncle for leaving him. What was he going to do?

"Himura…….huh?" Jineh asked, tasting the name. Now he knew that Kenshin was not Hiko's son. Perhaps he was one of the servant's children. "Is Nakamura-san your mother?"

Kenshin shook his head. He didn't want to answer this man. He was afraid he'd say something wrong, and get cut up. He had noticed a little switch blade that Jineh was holding. Still, if he didn't answer, then he'd get cut up anyway. This was not a friend of Hiko's! Where was his Uncle when he needed him!

"How are you related to Hiko?" Jineh demanded.

"Nephew…." Kenshin mumbled, nervously.

Now that was sweet. Jineh could practically read the headline already: **_"Himura captured? Business Deal Struck!" _**It was all about politics, and if he had to play dirty, he would. But…..how would he lure the kid? He seemed smart. And he didn't like the kid's eyes. He liked the child's hair. Maybe he could skin the child alive and keep the hair as a trophy afterwards. A sadistic smile took the place of his menacing scowl.

It was about high time Hiko paid for the way he had embarrassed him at the embassy two months ago. He felt himself get angry, but forced his voice to be sly and coaxing. "Say, Himura…...your uncle said it would be okay if we played together."

"I don't want to play with you." Kenshin said bluntly. "Go away."

Jineh ignored him. "If you don't go with me, I'll be forced to hurt you. You don't want that do you?" He asked.

Kenshin shook his head, and he watched as Jineh showed him the knife. It glinted. He knew how sharp knives were. He had accidentally cut himself with one when he had tried to cut an apple by himself, without waiting for Nakamura-san. He desperately didn't want that to hurt him.

Just as Jineh was telling Kenshin to go stand by the window, his Uncle barged in. "Kenshin!"

"Uncle Hiko!" Kenshin cried, looking up. He stood by the open window, shivering. Nakamura-san stood a little ways behind him. His uncle looked pissed.

"What is going on in here! Jineh…….." He saw the knife point in the man's hand. "What do you think you're doing?" He roared.

"Oh, Hiko-san……there you are. I was tired of waiting for you in the library, so I decided to look for you. Instead I found your dearest nephew." He gestured toward Kenshin, the knife point waving in the child's face.

Nakamura made to go rush toward him, but Hiko stopped her. It was too risky. "Put the knife down, Jineh, and we'll talk." Hiko warned him.

"_Now _you're willing to talk?" Jineh drawled. "I see you have a weak point, Hiko-san."

Hiko glanced at Kenshin, who was shifting uncomfortably on his spot. He all of a sudden needed to go to the bathroom. "Just don't hurt the child." Hiko said. He was trying to buy time as he inched closer and closer toward the sword hanging by the side of Kenshin's desk. If he could only get to it…..

"Make your proposal, Jineh, and we'll see if it will be granted."

"A simple contract with your company is all I ask." Jineh told him. "It will guarantee that my company will do well too."

_ Leeching off the M.R.I in other words_, Hiko thought darkly. He tried to stall a bit more. Instead of paying direct attention to Jineh, he turned his eyes to his nephew. If he could only direct Jineh's attention somewhere else, that was all he needed to get to the sword. And from there on, he would be able to do anything.

His luck was rewarded when Jineh turned his attention to the child too. "Did he hurt you?" Hiko asked, addressing Kenshin.

Kenshin shook his head. "Uncle Hiko, I have to go pee………"

How cute.

It was the split second chance to get the sword, and it was down and off the wall in his hands, unsheathed. At that moment though, Jineh saw the scabbard fall out of the corner of his eye and brought his arm with the knife down.

It hit Kenshin with a solid thunk.

The child let out a piercing scream, and staggered backward.

"NO! Kenshin!"

**  
To Be Continued….**

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AN: Thanks for reading, guys! I hope you liked it…now it shows why Jineh had such a grudge against Kenshin and the other way around. I hope to see you next week for WTWRAY. Please review!


	7. Wishful Thinking Aside

**THE IMPOSSIBLE By: Chiki Yumeshisa **

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…all original characters/ideas are mine to claim.

AN: Hi everyone. Sorry it took me so long to update this, I had to dig it out of my files before I could post it. I hope everyone had a fantastic new year and that you will enjoy this chapter.

**Warnings: Attempted murder, and family situations.**

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Chapter 7:  
Wishful Thinking Aside

It was a usual fight, something Kaoru was sick of seeing and hearing. But to see her mother's face with a purple bruise on its cheek, and her mother's hand holding a kitchen knife, was something all together different.

It had gotten worse; her father never before hit her mother. There had to be something terribly wrong. It was like a slow motion movie, as her mother lunged forward with that knife gripped in her hand like a dagger.

Her father, being a master of the Kasshin Ryu style, sidestepped. Kaoru rushed in. "Mother, Father! Stop this at once!" She was terrified, as her father turned to her mother and started swearing a blue streak.

"What are you trying to do?! I can report you in to the police for attempted murder!" He cried.

"I can report you in for abuse!" She retorted.

"You're both crazy!!" Kaoru screamed. She stamped her foot and cried, "You're both insane! What's wrong with you guys? Can't you stop fighting for once?!" In her anger, she slammed her fist down on the kitchen counter she was standing next to. "Do you know how much it hurts having to listen to you guys and argue? Why don't you care about anyone but yourselves?!"

Her father stopped and came over to her. "Kaoru-chan……."

Her mother pursed her lips, not saying anything. She looked away.

Kaoru bowed her head in her grief. "If it will make things better for us and for you, then, by all means, separate!!! I've had it!!!!!! I've had enough……."She buried her face in her father's robes, sobbing. There, she had said it.

And very soon, it happened as she asked.

8 months later, her father came home with an ashen face. He seemed to be in a world of his own.

He had lost the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu four months ago, due to some rumors that he was an abuser and taught students how to hurt others. Of course, none of this was true. They had been devastated, and it only made family matters worse. She wondered what could possibly have gone wrong now.

"Father?" She asked, worriedly. She followed him to the living room. "What's wrong?"

She held a sleeping Suzume in her arms. She had been very cranky that day, putting up such a howl, that the neighbors had come in asking if the child was alright. She had assured them everything was fine. After two hours, she had managed to lull the baby to sleep.

Her parents had gone out together that day, both in sullen moods. Her father was the only one to return. She had hoped that the situation between them would get better, but unfortunately, it didn't. It just got worse. Not a day passed without the two of them arguing. So much that the police had gotten involved when worried neighbors called.

It got so bad that the children were almost taken to custody under foster parents. Her parents had argued though, insisting that the problem would get settled.

"Your mother and I are getting a divorce."

And what a solution at that!

Kaoru couldn't believe her ears. She sat down, rather heavily on the couch nearby. Had she just heard right?

He saw how much the news had hurt her, so he moved forward, taking her hands in his. "Honey, I know it's hard for you…….but there really isn't any other way."  
Kaoru couldn't help but glare at him. "There is a way, but you and mother don't even want to try and figure out a solution." She angrily pulled her hands out of his. Her eyes filled with tears. What was going to become of them now?

She had done everything she could do to stop her parents from arguing. She studied day in and day out, making sure that Yahiko did the same. That would stop their bickering over schooling. She tried to do all the chores so that the arguing over work would stop. She even went so far as to make sure she was the one taking care of the baby, so that the pointing fingers about who was responsible and who wasn't would cease.  
All that never worked.

Well, apparently, since they were separating.

Maybe it was for the best – they would no longer have a reason to fight: they would both be far away from each other.

It tore at her heart though: Kaoru loved the both of them. It hadn't always been like that. Her mother and father used to be so loving to each other. What went wrong? She had no clue. She just wished things were back to the way they used to be.

Those good memories weren't easy to forget. If she had to choose between them, who would she go with? Her mother? Her father?

Thoughts spun in her head so fast that it made her sick. She heard her father saying something behind her, but she didn't know what. She didn't care. Her world was crashing.

She found herself in a courtroom, a couple of days later. She sat in the back, her siblings sitting beside her. Ayame was insisting she wanted to curl up on Kaoru's lap, so she tried her best to make room for her, cradling a wide eyed Suzume, who said the word 'Mama' every two seconds. Yahiko sat stone still beside her.

When he had heard the news, he had said nothing. He gave her no outward reaction. Maybe he was just tired of all the fighting too.

The judge came in, a big man, his head bald. He had a red face, and it made Kaoru wonder if he had run all the way to the courtroom. He sat down in his chair, and brought the gavel down with a solid thunk. Even Suzume fell silent.

The words went right past Kaoru, as she watched her parents, each sitting on the opposite ends of the room. No where near each other…….. she felt tears spring into her eyes again. Her mother stood up and presented their case, and explained that her father was not enough of a working man: he was jobless and could no longer provide for his family.

Her father objected: he had brought home more of the wages than she had ever done in their relationship. He had only to wait a couple more weeks before he got placed in the position he had applied for. And that was all it took for the insults to fly back and forth.

The gavel came down again, firmer this time. "What do you propose to do with the children?" He asked, sternly. "A single parent taking care of four children is a hard task."

They looked at each other. "If I am to take care of them, I will keep them all." Kaoru's father announced. "I wouldn't be able to part with any of them."

Her mother retorted, "You wouldn't be able to take care of any of them."

"A jobless man taking care of four children……" The judge began. But Kaoru's mother intervened.

"I will take two, and he will take the other two."

Kaoru froze. Not only was she going to be separated from her parents, but her siblings as well. She felt her arms tighten around both Suzume and Ayame. She would have hugged Yahiko to her too, but she had no more arms to spare. She cast him a worried glance, but he was staring straight ahead. She guessed he was in shock.

"……Kaoru and Suzume……" Her mother was saying.

"What about the other two? You would choose to forget about them?" Her father demanded.

Her mother clucked disdainfully. Before she could get a sour answer back, her father continued, "I am willing to raise them all. You'll see that a father can raise children just as well as a mother."

"Then take them!" Her mother snapped. "It's less of a burden on my part, anyway! And besides, they all remind me of you!"

The arguing continued for about 15 minutes, and Kaoru broke down completely. Her mother didn't care for any of them………it tore her heart into millions of pieces. Yahiko, seeing his sister cry for the first time, began to bawl too. His strong, courageous sister crying? It was too much for him to bear! He had been willing himself to be as strong as her, but that was swept away faster than he had been able to build it.

From then on, Kaoru regarded her mother as a stranger. Her mother left the house almost immediately, after the case was closed, taking with her the money she had earned. It forced Kamiya-san and his children to move.

Kaoru was not able to tell Katsu or any of her friends where she was going. That she was reduced to poverty……telling them that she was not able to go with them to high school after all. She took another exam, managing to get into Queen's High School without much difficulty. What a change for her in just a year.

They moved to the other side of town, in a smaller house. The house was rundown, and dirty. House insects infested it, and it took almost two weeks to get rid of every last one.

They moved in comfortably, but Kaoru could hardly bear the thought that her whole life had changed. She found comfort in her books and her studies, losing herself in all her textbooks.

She knew one thing for sure: she wanted to make sure that all her siblings were happy. Even if she was not happy, she'd make sure they all were.

It meant she had to work, and she had to get into the right university to get a well-paying job. She was determined to make loose ends meet.

When she turned 17 two years later, things were back to moving smoothly. Her father had gotten the job of a shipper in a small courier company. Though the pay wasn't the best, it was enough to get by on. They just made do with what they had.

She heard news that her mother had moved to England and met another man: Yukishiro Tetsuya. She heard that they were going to get married. Yukishiro Tetsuya had lost his wife and had fallen in love with Kaoru's mother. He already had two children: Yukishiro Tomoe and Yukishiro Enishi. She had moved on in her life.

And it was just as well with Kaoru: She would move on too.

She pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail, and made her way out to the living room, where her father was squatting on the ground next to her Suzume, who was trying to copy his fingers as he taught her how to count. She had grown into a child with bright blue eyes and chubby cheeks.

Her hair was a soft brown color, like her father's. She had inherited her eyes from her mother. Ayame was a pure Kamiya as they called her, with brown hair and brown eyes. Kaoru was a spitting image of her mother. Blue eyes and beautiful raven black hair while Yahiko was a mixture of both parents, with brown eyes and black hair.

Suzume was giggling, and looked up when Kaoru entered. Her small chubby face pushed up with a smile. "Hi, Kao-nee!"

Kaoru smiled back. "Hello." She cooed, helping the child off the floor. She addressed her father, "I've decided to switch schools."

Her father frowned. Queen's high School was an average high school that was close by and she was doing well in it last he checked.

"Are you having trouble with the one you're in now?" He asked.

Kaoru blinked. Trouble? "No." In fact, it was so easy, she was bored half the time during classes. Having spent 2 years without much she could call competition, she decided it was time to take matters into her own hands. She had been reading a newspaper and saw a flyer fall out. It was a pamphlet advertising a school KOJIMACHI PRIVATE INSTITUTE It consisted of its own elementary, high school, and even university. She read that it was highly competitive, but it was the best high school any student would want to get into, and the place where parents would love to send their children.

And it looked that way too – the facilities and faculty looked topnotch. The teachers were all professionals. She wasn't interested so much with the way the school looked – it was more on what it had to offer. If she could get into the best school, and graduate as the best, she would for sure get accepted into the university of her choice. And then she'd land the best job possible. So long as she could provide for her siblings.

"Then why would you want to switch?" He asked, confused.

"I want to go to Kojimachi Private High……" She began.

He instantly shook his head. "Kaoru, you know we don't have that type of money."

It was Kaoru's turn to shake her head. "No, father, I wasn't going to ask you to use your money."

"How do you propose to get in?" He demanded. "It takes money to get into a private institute like that."

"I will take the exam." She said casually. "It should be easy enough." She fingered Suzume's hair. "I want to do well……and get a good job. If I don't pass the exam, then at least I tried."

Her father seemed pensive. Finally he nodded, and his frown was replaced by a gentle smile. "I know you can do it then. You're a very bright girl, Kaoru, and I believe in you."

Happily, she got to her feet, swinging Suzume around. She knew her father would consent – he was always behind her all the way.

It wasn't likely that someone would switch suddenly in the middle of the school year, but she was determined to make it through.

She took the test that week, and sure enough, the results were what she was expecting. She got a 98 on the exam. She had to admit though; it had been a very difficult one – designed so that those who took it would most likely fail. It ticked her off that they did that so that they would get students who paid to get in instead.

She was accepted graciously, and she transferred the very next week. The uniform was simple: a black blazer, a black skirt, a white collared shirt and a red tie. Her text books her father had given to her as a present as his way of saying congratulations for passing the exam. She had just saved him $7000 entrance fee. $800 worth of textbooks was a small sum compared to that.

To go to Kojimachi was expensive. It was almost $3000 a month. But then again, the sons and daughters of rich companies, lawyers, doctors and other high class people went there. To them, it was nothing to really worry about.

And it was just Kaoru's luck, to bump into the son of the richest person in Japan on her first day of school.

And even worse…..she made enemies with him right away.

She could smell trouble.

Trouble she did not need.

His name?

His name was Himura Kenshin.

**To be Continued…**

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AN: That's Kaoru's life story. Sorta. Divorce is a hard thing to talk about for some people, so if I have offended any of you, I'm very sorry. There's no cliffhanger here, so it's yet another prelude to WHEN THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU. For those of you who are reading that, I hope this answered some of your questions about Kaoru's past and her relationship with the Yukishiros.

Until next update, please review!


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